American Textile Bedsheets Inflated Thread Count Class Action

What does thread count really mean, and is it a consistent measurement? The complaint explains thread count and alleges that a Sealy sheet set from American Textile Company, Inc. falsely advertises a thread count of 1250, when the correct count is only 223.

Two classes have been proposed for this action:

• The Illinois Class is all persons in Illinois who bought the product during the applicable statutes of limitations.
• The Consumer Fraud Multi-State Class is all persons in Montana, Kansas, Maine, Wyoming, Idaho, Kentucky, West Virginia, Kansas, Iowa, Mississippi, and Utah who bought the product during the applicable statutes of limitations.

Thread count is generally regarded by consumers as a measure of quality, with higher thread counts offering more comfort and durability than lower ones. Consumers are generally willing to pay more for sheets with higher thread counts.

In the US, bedding companies determine the thread count by counting the number of threads in the warp (vertical direction) and adding it to the number of threads in the filling (horizontal direction). According to the complaint, each yarn is counted as one thread, whether it is a single thread or a thread with multiple plies.

The American Standard for Testing Materials (ASTM) creates global standards for various industries. The complaint alleges, “ASTM Standard 3775 covers the standard test method for measuring warp end count and filling pick count and is applicable to all types of woven fabric.” It supports the above way of counting threads, that is, counting the threads both vertically and horizontally, and counting each as one, whether they are single or plied.

However, the complaint alleges that some manufacturers do not use this method but count each ply as another thread. The complaint alleges that the National Textiles Association (NTA) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have recognized that this method of counting artificially inflates the thread count far above the traditional method and does not permit consumers to fairly compare products.

The FTC suggests that when multi-ply yarns are used, companies can inform consumers of this in a non-deceptive way by stating, for example, that a sheet is “300 thread count, 2-ply yarn” rather than “600 thread count.”

The complaint alleges, “Laboratory analysis of [American Textile Company’s] Product, pursuant to ASTM D 3775, shows it has 57 warp yarns and 166 weft yarns per inch, for a total thread count of 223.”

According to the complaint, then, the thread count of the sheet set should be 223. “However,” the complaint claims, “the 19 individual filaments in each warp yarn were counted as separate yarns, which is scientifically wrong based on the definition of fiber and yarn structures.” The 57 warp yarns times 19 filaments each comes to 1083; added to 166, this is 1249, which the labeling rounds up to 1250.

The complaint alleges that the product is lower quality and not as soft, comfortable, or durable as it is presented to be.

Article Type: Lawsuit
Topic: Consumer
Tags: Deceptive Advertising, Deceptive Labels, Lower-Quality Item Sold as Higher Quality, Thread Count